Axios reported that the changes infuriated Arab officials involved in the negotiations, writes Dave DeCamp.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Jared Kushner and U.S. President Donald Trump are seen during their meeting at the King David hotel in Jerusalem in May, 2017. (Kobi Gideon/ Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs/ Flickr/ CC BY-NC 2.0)
By Dave DeCamp
Antiwar.com
The Gaza ceasefire proposal released by the White House on Monday included significant changes that were requested by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Axios reported on Tuesday.
The Times of Israel also reported that Netanyahu was able to secure key changes to the proposal during a meeting on Sunday with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and his top advisor, Jared Kushner. According to Axios, the release of the deal with the changes infuriated Arab officials involved in the negotiations.
At a press conference with Netanyahu, President Trump presented his proposal as something that has been widely accepted by the Arab world, though the deal was significantly different than what the U.S. and a group of Arab and Muslim countries had previously agreed to due to the changes.
The changes were related to two of the most sensitive issues in the negotiations: the disarmament of Hamas and Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza. The new proposal ties Israel’s phased withdrawal from territory to the “demilitarization” of Gaza and the ability of an international force to take over the land.
“[T]he deal was significantly different than what the U.S. and a group of Arab and Muslim countries had previously agreed…”
The proposal also essentially gives Israel and the U.S. a veto over the withdrawal from Gaza by stating the IDF “will withdraw based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to demilitarization that will be agreed upon between the IDF, ISF [International Stabilization Force], the guarantors, and the US.”
According to The Times of Israel, the initial proposal approved by the Arab countries simply stated that the IDF “will progressively hand over the Gaza territory that [it] occup[ies].” Even after all conditions are met, the new proposal will allow Israel to occupy a perimeter zone until Gaza is “properly secure from any resurgent terror threat.”
While the language could be interpreted as a requirement for a full Israeli withdrawal, Netanyahu has made clear that he does not see it that way. “Now the whole world, including the Arab and Muslim world, is pressuring Hamas to accept the terms that we created together with Trump, to bring back all the hostages — the living and the dead — while the IDF stays in the Strip,” he said in a video statement on Sunday night.
Hamas’s long-standing position has been that it’s willing to release all remaining Israeli captives in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Hamas has also rejected the idea of disarming until the creation of a Palestinian state or a Palestinian force that could replace its armed wing.
While many details need to be worked out, Trump and Netanyahu have framed the proposal as a final offer that must be accepted or Israel will “finish the job” in Gaza. Trump has also made clear he’s willing to continue backing the genocidal war if an agreement isn’t reached.
“If Hamas rejects the deal, Bibi, you will have our full backing to do what you have to do,” he said on Monday.
Trump said Tuesday he will give Hamas “three or four days” to respond to the proposal. “All of the Arab countries are signed up, the Muslim countries all signed up, Israel’s all signed up. We’re just waiting for Hamas, and Hamas is either going to be doing it or not – and if it’s not, it’s going to be a very sad end,” he said.
Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.
The views expressed are solely those of the author and may or may not reflect those of Consortium News.
What a sorry joke! To put together a plan for peace in Gaza without including any of the Palestinians most affected by the horrors of genocide inflicted upon them is purely a non-starter. This is simply trying to force more war crimes on an already war torn populace by the perpetrators of the horrors.
The world is clearly against the US and Israel’s plans for the Palestinians. In other words, the vast majority of the people on this planet reject this plan to force the Palestinians to surrender with no guarantee of their rights being protected. Why on earth would Hamas betray their people after all they’ve been forced to endure? The US and Israel are alienating the world for geostrategic interests and profit. It is they who will have to surrender in the end.
An honor to hear Dave DeCamp’s voice on CN.
Negotiations by threat to “finish the job.” Trump and
Netanyahu sing for US-Israeli’s genocidal horror against
humanity and blame Hamas for not singing with them.
Hamas does not represent the interests of Palestinian people. It has gotten tens of thousands of them killed that would otherwise have been alive today, AND HAMAS DOESN’T CARE. Every dead Palestinian is a propaganda win for them, and they will gladly martyr everyone in Gaza to achieve their goals. The sooner Hamas is gone, the sooner the Palestinian people can find a way to coexist with their more powerful rival. ‘From the River to the Sea’ is NEVER going to happen. Palestinians and Israelis must find a way to coexist or they’re going to fight until one side goes the way of the Carthaginians and gets wiped off the face of the earth.
You have to ask yourself whether Israel, especially this government, has any interest whatsoever in coexisting with the Palestinians.